May 2025 Pacesetter Kenneth Lee
McKeen & Associates P.C. | Southfield

What motivated you to become a trial lawyer? I’ve always been drawn to the competitive nature of litigation. I spent the first couple of years of my legal career working in business litigation, but it did not offer the courtroom experience that I was looking for. Being a plaintiff lawyer, representing those who have been injured and often cannot speak for themselves, is a responsibility that I embrace and feel honored to be able to do. I take  tremendous pride in being able to enforce some measure of accountability on defendants who negligently injure people, and who often have the benefit of unfair laws that favor the defense, particularly in medical malpractice cases.

When did you become a member of MAJ? Why did you decide to join? I became a member of MAJ when I joined McKeen & Associates in 2015. I joined because MAJ is an organization that works tirelessly to ensure that we continue to have a fair and effective legal system, where injured parties can have their day in court.

Why do you feel it is important for trial lawyers to be a part of MAJ? It is essential that trial lawyers become a part of MAJ because it is the organization that leads the way in advocating for the rights of those who have been injured. MAJ has so much to offer to trial lawyers, including the ability to frequently meet with other trial lawyers who experience the same challenges that we all face, and to discuss, in an open forum, the ways to go about meeting and overcoming those challenges. MAJ also provides important educational and practical resources to trial lawyers.

Please describe the extent of your MAJ participation (offices held, committees, AAJ, etc): Since 2016 I have been on the MAJ Executive Board. I also have been a member of AAJ since 2016 and have attended the majority of the bi-annual conventions that AAJ offers. In addition, I have been a contributing member of the Justice PAC since 2022.

Why do you feel supporting the Justice PAC is important? In this industry, we as Plaintiff lawyers are fighting against multimillion-dollar insurance companies that constantly lobby to limit the rights of those injured by negligence.

It is critical that Plaintiff lawyers contribute to Justice PAC. This support helps counter the financial influence of insurance companies and ensures that political candidates who align with the goals of MAJ have the resources they need to get elected, stay in office, and continue advancing a fair legal system.

What is distinctive about your practice? And firm? At McKeen & Associates, we pride ourselves on being trial lawyers and on taking tough cases. We often have clients come to us after they have had their case rejected by two, or sometimes three, law firms. We pride ourselves on doing a thorough investigation and trying to develop a theory of liability that we can pursue to a successful outcome in those challenging cases, and quite often, we succeed in cases like that.

What is your most memorable case? In September of 2023, I tried a surgical malpractice case that had been declined by four law firms before we took the case. I litigated the case for two years and the defense refused to offer a single dollar to settle. My perception was that the defense did not take the case seriously, and did not think the case could be won at trial. At trial, I obtained a unanimous jury verdict of just over $11,000,000.

What was your most satisfying case? In 2018, I tried a case involving a botched facelift in Saginaw County. The case was against one of the insurance companies who was notorious for taking a no-pay position, particularly in cases involving elective surgery. The defense was convinced that they had a solid comparative negligence defense that would overcome any finding of negligence on behalf of the defendant plastic surgeon, so they refused to offer any settlement money for the duration of the two-year case. At trial, I prevailed, unanimously, and the jury awarded a verdict of nearly $500,000.

Please provide a brief description of your interests outside the practice of law. Outside of practicing law, I enjoy spending time with my wife and our two young children. As a family, we stay active through travel and a wide range of sports and activities, including hockey, golf, tennis, swimming, and dance. I especially enjoy coaching my son’s hockey team, playing golf, and reading about a variety of topics, particularly investing.